MUMBAI: Nimbus, whose broadcast rights contract with the BCCI was terminated on Monday, has said that it reserves all its rights and options and could invoke the arbitration process if need be.

Nimbus has said that it is working towards the full resolution of differences that may have arisen between the parties and is hopeful of a reasoned conclusion in the coming weeks.

Nimbus maintains that it acted in compliance with the contractual obligations and variations that it agreed to with the BCCI from time to time.

Nimbus adds that it will not comment further on the issue till it concludes discussions with the BCCI in the coming weeks.

MUMBAI: In what can be termed as a severe blow to Nimbus, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has terminated the contract with the sports broadcaster.

Cricket?s richest board, BCCI, took the decision at its Working Committee meeting on Monday after Nimbus failed to agree to the BCCI?s terms that it pay 50 per cent of each months stipulated amount 30 days prior to commencement of the recently concluded West Indies series.

At the BCCI?s emergent working committee meeting, members were unanimous in scrapping the telecast deal for India?s home series matches.

It is also learnt that the BCCI may encash the Rs 20 billion bank guarantee. Nimbus had renewed the contract with the BCCI is 2009-10 for four years, for a whopping Rs 20 billion.

As per the contract, Nimbus was to pay a sum of Rs 315 million for each Test, 50-over and Twenty20 international played in India in that specific four-year period.

This means that domestic cricket, including Ranji Trophy, does not have a broadcaster. Reports add that the BCCI was not happy that World Series Hockey was being promoted during the live cricket broadcast.

However, with no international cricket matches scheduled in India for the next eight months, the BCCI obviously felt that now was the right time to terminate the contract and enter into a fresh deal. Terminating the deal now gives it enough time to plan for the future.

MUMBAI: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has issued a notice to cricket?s richest board, the BCCI, to explain transfer and routing of funds to the tune of Rs 16 billion in the conduct of the second season of Indian Premier League cricket tournament.

The notice has been issued under the provisions of the Foreign Exchange Management Act (Fema) regarding transfer of funds for the second edition of the IPL, which was conducted in South Africa in 2009.

Besides the BCCI, the notice has also been marked for former IPL chairman and commissioner Lalit Modi, asking for an explanation of the transfer of these funds.

MUMBAI: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has written to the BCCI regarding the resumption of cricket series between the two countries.

PCB chairman Zaka Ashraf has been quoted in reports saying that he had written to BCCI president N Srinivasan regarding resumption of cricket ties.

Pakistan is supposed to visit India in February next year. The two teams have not played a series since the 26/11 terror attacks in 2008.

Ashraf said that he had also met Bangladesh Cricket Board officials to break the ice.

NEW DELHI/MUMBAI: The intervention of the Information and Broadcasting Minister Ambika Soni has helped All India Radio (AIR) get Nimbus to part with the radio broadcast rights of the three Tests of the India-West Indies series.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has granted the radio rights to the state-owned radio broadcaster after discussing with the rights holder, Nimbus Sport.

The commercial value of the rights is yet to be fixed, sources said.

AIR had failed to broadcast the commentary of the India-England cricket series as negotiations with Nimbus Sport over revenue sharing were inconclusive. 

"Nimbus and BCCI will be meeting next week to decide on the commercial value of the deal. AIR will broadcast the commentary of the three Tests of the West Indies tour of India following an assurance by the BCCI," a source familiar with the development said.

The Tests start on 6 November, 14 November and 22 November at Delhi, Kolkata and Mumbai respectively.

Sources said no agreement has yet been worked out for the five one-dayers being held in November and December at Cuttack, Visakhapatnam, Ahmedabad, Indore and Chennai.

When contacted, Neo Sport chief operating officer Yannick Colaco declined to comment on the issue.

For the India-England series, AIR was willing to pay $6000 per match for the broadcast rights, but Neo Sport wanted a 50:50 share in revenues.

The I&B Ministry had last month written to BCCI to allow radio broadcasting rights because a large number of people still depended on radio for their entertainment and information.

Sources said senior BCCI officials had taken up the issue with Nimbus Sport.

Doordarshan will telecast the one-dayers under the the Sports Broadcasting Signals (Mandatory Sharing with Prasar Bharati) Act, 2007.

MUMBAI: The working committee of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has rejected the revised draft for the National Sports Development Bill. It wants to regulate the functioning of National Sports Federations.

The BCCI said that certain aspects of the bill are meant to "destroy the autonomy" of the board.

BCCI secretary Sanjay Jagdale said, "While the BCCI is all for good governance and transparency in sports bodies, certain aspects of the Bill seek to destroy the autonomy of the Board and dilute the rights of its members.

"Therefore the Board is totally opposed to this Bill and will be communicating its objections to the Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports shortly. It has to be borne in mind that ?Sports? is a state subject and the legislative competence of central government is limited. The bill tends to encroach upon fundamental rights of sports bodies".